Pressure expansion gun



Jan. 30, 1951 R. s. CHAPMAN PRESSURE EXPANSION GUN 2 Sheets-Sheet lFiled Sept. 9, 1949 Jan. 30, 1951 R. s. CHAPMAN PRESSURE ExPANsIoN GUN 2Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 9, 1949 fifi/iff v N Rm Y MKM fc\a V T Nxxr APatented Jan. 30, 195i PRESSURE EXPANSION GUN Robert S. Chapman,Phoenix, Ariz., assignor to Elmer R. Perkins, Young County,7 Tex.

Application September 9, 1949, Serial No. H4524 4 Claims. (Clz S32-l.)

This invention pertains to pressure expansion guns for extracting "fibrefrom fibrous bearing plants.v

One of the objects of the invention is to provide an economical andeiilcient vessel into which libre bearing plants may be placed andsealed, so that steam may be introduced to permeate all parts of thecharge and at a desired time thereafter the contents may be dischargedor expelled by the opening of the valve at the bottom of the vessel.

Another object is to provide an expansion vessel of the type mentionedwhich has means for loading and distributing the load within the vesseAnother object is to provide an expansion vessel of the type mentionedin which means is provided for distributing steam or high pressure airevenly to all parts of the load.

Still another object is to provide mechanism for closing an expansionvalve at the bottom of a cylindrical shaped vessel and for quicklyopening it to permit 4the contents to expand therefrom. Other objectswill appear hereinafter.

l attain the foregoing objects by means of the apparatus shown in theaccompanying drawings in which Figure l is a vertical sectional view ofthe expension vessel. and attendant mechanism.

Figure 2 is a plan view of the vessel with the operation mechanismsectioned off and removed.

Figure 3 is aside elevation of the opening and closing mechanism, drawnon an enlarged scale.

Figure 4 is a horizontalsection taken on lines 3-3 of Figure l. f l

And Figure 5 is a plan view of the dash pot cylinder piston.v

Similar numerals refer to similar parts in the several views.

The body of the vessel 2 is cylindrical. It is closed at the top by adome shaped header 3 Vand at the bottom by an end piece 4. The entireperimeter of the vessel may be lagged as indi- 2 longitudinally throughthe center of the vessel is a shaft 30 which carries the expansion valveplug 3l at its bottom end. A gland thimble 32 seals shaft 30 in area 6at the top of the vessel. and a gland thimble 34 sealsv'the shaft 30into the bottom of the central steam distribution tube- 25. Thesethimbles also act as bearings. Valve plug 3| is resiliently attached toshaft 3l by means of a heavy spring 36 tensioned by a nut 31 at itsbottom end.

Surrounding tube 25 and concentrically positioned is a cylindrical loadholding basket M. This is perforated throughout its perimeter and boththis and tube 25 are provided with strengthening rings 42.

On the top of the vessel closure 3, a steam entrance inlet pipe 45 ispositioned to direct steam into vessel 2 and over a conical distributionplate it. A steam control valve is indicatedby numeral 4l. In additionto the steam entrance pipe there are compressed air inlets il connectedto pipe N9 and closed by valve 50. and a vacuum pipe line 52 closed byvalve 54, and lastly a safety valve 56.

Leaves or other libre bearing plants and parts of plants are introducedinto the chamber through entrance opening l5 after door il has beenunlocked and opened. Prior to this, v alve plug 3| has been closed onvalve seat packing 22. The libre bearing material lls basket 40, and asit reaches the top, hand wheel Il is rotated in order to rotate thelevelling rake 9 which opercated by the numeral 5. The top header of thevessel includes a circular area 6 which forms a support for the valveoperating mechanism infv y shaped and its opening 20 isprovided with aflange 2| carrying a ring shaped packing 22.

Concentric with the axis of the vessel is a perforated steamdistribution tube 25. This is attached to the inner surface of area 6 atits top, and has a thimble 29 at its bottom. Extending is filled andleveled, the cover i1 is closed and bolted shut. Steam is thenintroduced through pipe until the proper pressure has been reachedthroughout the load. When this is done valve plug 3| is quickly releasedfrom seat 2b and the load expanded downward into a receiver where it isbrought into contact with water spray and thoroughly washed and tumbled.

Thereafter the vacuum pipe line 52 may be opened to scavenge theinterior of the vessel of water vapor etc., and make it ready for thenext load. In certain instances after the introduction of steam asaforesaid compressed air is introduced through openings 48 at a higherpressure than the steam pressure within the chamber and expansion madethereafter.

Valveplug 3| is held on packing ring 22 of seat 20, and released fromthis seat by mechanism indicated generally at 'I but shown in detail inFigure 3.

The plug is primarily closed and held closed by a piston 6B operating ina valve operating '22. lit is held and locked in this position (Whilepressure is maintained on it) by the mechanism shown in Figure 3, andconsisting of a number of angular wedges 64 surrounding shaft 30 andresting on the top face of plate 65, which is the cover of shockabsorbing cylinder or dash pot 66. These frictional lock wedges are heldnormally in loose position by a circular spring 61, and are supported byloose hinges on the top of plate 65. While plug 3i is held closed, aslip sleeve or collar 63 is jammed down tightly over these wedges bymeans of lever operated by piston rod 'Il running in locking cylinder12. The piston in this cylinder can be actuated either by hydraulicmeans or pneumatic means. By the action of slip sleeve 63, wedges 64grip tightly against rod 30 so that valve plug 3| is held in closedposition. After this, steam is introduced into vessel 2, as aboveexplained. After steam has been introduced, the valve plug 3| isreleased by reversing movement of sleeve 63. Wedges 6I then releaseshaft 30 and the internal pressure of vessel 2 forces valve plug 3i toopen position as shown by dotted line 3IA.

To stop the motion of shaft 30 and its attendant parts, when it hasreached the limit of its travel. I provide the dash pot cylinder 66,which is partially lled with oil 80, and piston 8| on shaft 30. Piston8i is perforated by a number of holes 85 arranged centrically near itsperimeter. This allows the oil 80 to move from the bottom of thiscylinder to its top as the piston is forced downward. The size andrelation of these holes to the volume and size of piston 8i in cylinder66 governs the speed with which the downward m'otion of the piston isstopped. A valve 63 seats on larger holes 86 and is positioned on shaft30 below the bottom face of piston 8l. It is slidably operative, a shortdistance, on shaft 3|) so that it opens and stays open by its own weightwhen piston 8| is at the top of cylinder 66, and closes when its taperednose 84 impinges on the top of oil 80. During the ilrst part of itsdownward stroke air and oil flow through holes 85 and I6 until thesurface of oil 80 is reached. Thereafter, the oil is forced through theholes, 85 only, and the motion of the piston is progressively retardedas it approaches the bottom of cylinder 66.

It is to be understood that before valve plug l 3| has been opened byoperation of cylinder 60,

all hydraulic iluid is removed from the under side of the piston 6Ioperating in cylinder 6U. Suitable oil pumps and control valves areconnected to both the valve operating cylinder 60 and the collaroperating or locking cylinder 12.

These are of conventional structure and are therefore not shown indetail.

From the foregoing it will be seen that I have provided an expansionvessel, as herein concerned. which is easily constructed and assembled,and operatively and thermally efficient. The fibrous plant material maybe forced through loading door or wilted by wet steam and fed bygravity. The load is evenly distributed by the leveling rake, and then,after closing and sealing the loading door, steam is evenly introducedthroughout the whole load by the perforated center tube and the loadholding basket. I have found that steam at high temperatures, oftenchars the plant fibers, therefore, I have provided means for theintroduction of compressed air. Steam is first introduced to permeateand soften the plant material; high pressure air is then introduced tobuild up pressure to attain complete CII expansion. The position of theloading door at the top, and the expansion valve at the bottom of thecylindrical vessel enhance the elciency of the entire unit.

I claim:

1. A pressure expansion gun for extracting fiber from fiber bearingplants, including in combination a cylindrical vessel closed by a headerat the top and by a funnel shaped end piece at the bottom terminating ina concentrically positioned valve seat; an axially extendingconcentrically positioned perforated steam distributing tube attached tothe bottom face of said header at its top and positioned by a thimble atits bottom; an axially extending bottomless cylindrical perforated loadholding basket concentrically positioned in spaced relation to saidsteam distributing tube; an eccentrically positioned loading door insaid top header; a valve plug supported on a centrally positionedaxially extending and operating valve shaft slidably bearing in andsealed into said top header, adapted to close on said valve seat andopen by downward movement therefrom: means moving said valve shaft toclosed position and instantly releasing it, when desired, including apiston mounted on the top of said valve shaft operative in a hydrauliccylinder mounted on said top header, a set of friction jaws surroundingsaid shaft and mounted on said top header, an axially operative collarsurrounding said jaws adapted to clamp them onto said valve shaft; andhydraulic means for moving said collar from clamping position toreleased position; and means for introducing steam into the top of saidcylindrical vessel so that it enters said perforated steam distributingtube and said perforated basket and permeates ber bearing plants loadedinto said basket.

2. A pressure expansion gun for extracting fiber from fiber bearingplants, including in combination a cylindrical vessel closed by a headerat the tcp and by a funnel shaped end piece at the bottom terminating ina concentrically positioned valve seat; an axially extendingconcentrically positioned perforated steam distributing tube attached tothe bottom face of said header at its top and positioned by a thimble atits bottom; an axially extending bottomless cylindrical perforated loadholding basket concentrically positioned in spaced relation to saidsteam distributing tube; and eccentrically positioned loading door insaid top header; a valve plug supported on a centrally positionedaxially extending and operating valve shaft slidably bearing in andsealed into said top header, adapted to close on said valve seat andopen by downward movement therefrom; means moving said valve shaft toclosed position and instantly releasing it, when desired, including apiston mounted on the top of said valve shaft operative in a hydrauliccylinder mounted on said top header, a set of friction jaws surroundingsaid shaft and mounted on said top header, an axially operative collarsurrounding said jaws adapted to clamp them onto said valve shaft; andhydraulic means for moving said collar from clamping position toreleased position; and a dash pot for stopping the opening movement ofsaid valve shaft including a cylinder mounted on said top closure, apiston, keyed to said shaft, operative in said cylinder having aplurality of small holes near its perimeter, and large holes near itscenter closable by upward movement of a plate valve, and hydraulicfluid, half filling said cylinder, whereby it may be forced into theupper portion of said cylinder through said holes and so that said platevalve may be closed on impact'therewith; and means for introducing steaminto the top of said cylindrical vessel so that it enters saidperforated steam distributing tube and said perforated basket andpermeates fiber bearing plants loaded into said basket; and means forintroducing compressed air into said vessel independently of said steam.

3. A pressure expansion gun for extracting fiber from fiber bearingplants, including in combination a cylindrical vessel closed by a headerat the top and by a funnel shaped end piece at the bottom terminating ina concentrically positioned valve seat; an axially extendingconcentrically positioned perforated steam distributing tube attached tothe bottom face of said header at its top and positioned by a thimble atits bottom; an axially extending bottomless cylindrical perforated loadholding basket concentrically positioned in spaced relation to saidsteam distributing tube; an eccentrically positioned loading door insaid top header; a valve plug supported on a centrally positionedaxially extending and operating valve shaft slidably bearing in andsealed into said top header, adapted to close on said valve seat andopen by downward movement there from; means moving said valve shaft toclosed position and instantly releasing it, when desired,

including a piston mounted on the top of said valve shaft operative in ahydraulic cylinder mounted on said top header, a set of friction jawssurrounding said shaft and mounted on said top header, an axiallyoperative collar surrounding said Jaws adapted to clamp them onto saidvalve shaft; and hydraulic means for moving said collar from clampingposition to released position; and means for leveling and distributingfiber bearing material introduced through said eccentrically disposedloading door, including a rotary leveling rake iournalled around saidvalve shaft at the top of said vessel, and a radially extending driveshaft geared to turn said rake at its inner end, having a drive wheel atits outer end, passing radially outward through said vessel and sealedby a gland; and means for introducing steam into the top of saidcylindrical vessel so that it enters said perforated steam distributingtube and said perforated basket and permeates ilber bearing plantsloaded into said basket.

4. In a pressure vessel for expanding ber bearing plants, having acentrally positioned vertically Voperating expansion valve, closing on avalve seat at the bottom thereof mechanism for operating said valve,including in combination; a vertical valve shaft carrying a valve plugon its lower end and a piston on its upper end, adapted to extendthrough the upper part of said vessel; glands providing bearing surfacesand sealing means' for said shaft in said vessel; a hydraulic cylinderoperatively accepting. said shaft piston, arranged to force said shaftupward to close said valve and, when desired, to permit rapid downwardopening movement thereof; a dash pot for slackening and stoppingdownward movement of said valve shaft including a cylinder supported onthe top of said vessel surrounding said shaft partially filled with oil,a piston keyed to said valve shaft operative in said cylinder,peripherally disposed holes in lsaid piston forming a primary multiplepassageway of predetermined size between the bottom of said cylinder andthe top. a secondary larger passageway through said piston formed byholes formed adjacent the center thereof to permit rapid movement of oilfrom the upper end of said cylinder to the lower end thereof, a platevalve slidably operative on said shaft below said piston being normallyin depressed open position, and adapted to be moved upward to a positionclosing said secondary passageway by impact of said valve with said oilin said dash pot cylinder; means for retaining said shaft in raisedposition to keep said valve closed including a plurality of grippingdogs surrounding said shaft and hinged to the top of said dash potcylinder, said dogs being wedge shaped and having levelled outer facestapering inward, a locking collar surrounding said dogs having aninternal bore tapering inward and upward, and means for forcing saidcollar downward onto sad dogs to clamp them onto said shaft, and forreverse movement to effect release, including a lever hinged to saidcylinder and operative on said collar, and a hydraulic piston andcylinder adapted to move the unhinged end of said lever downward andupward and move said collar from clamping to released position.

ROBERT S. CHAPMAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATEN'IS Brandes June 28, 1945

